🎻 VIOLIN BOW CHANGE AT THE FROG EXAMPLES - Normal speed/slow motion

[@yccho86]

wonderful theme!! for frog change that one of the hardest part of playing violin... Thank you

[@cleitonxavier3269]

Gracias!

[@jb9652]

Extraordinary! Is it necessary to throw the index finger out at the frog when changing from up bow to down bow? So many of them do it. I will try it!

[@Samlaren]

It totally depends on where your weight is at that moment. Perlman often uses almost only the index finger when he is near the frog, and then when he have to change his bow direction he have to transfer his weight through the hand to make more fingers involved so that it is smoother. Look for example at 3:20 He adds one finger at the time to the stick until the pinky is on, and at the same time he is releasing the preassure from his index finger. When all the fingers is on the stick then palm i flatter to the stick which makes rotating the hand easier and thus bending the wrist so he can change direction of the bow smoother. Zukerman at 3:53 on the other hand has the weight more on all fingers so he only needs to release the index finger to move the weight back in the hand for a smooth change. Others like Szeryng doesn't need to release the pinky, but only transfer the weight back by that little flick of the entire hand you can see at 5:03 and 5:18 An other way of saying the same thing is that during up-bow the wrist is higher in relation to the bowgrip compared to the wrist during the down bow. When the bow changes direction the wrist have to move to the new spot without distrupting the tone. And to do that the weight distrubution have to change at the bowchange. For some the index finger lifts as a result of that, but only as a result, never a goal.

[@jb9652]

@@Samlaren Wonderful - thank you! "... the index finger lifts as a result of that, but always as a result, never a goal." Indeed, I completely get that. I wrote clumsily in the middle of the night. My intention when I wrote was to try lifting the index finger, see what the effect was, and then to see what use that effect could be put to. Your analysis will I think put me much further ahead than my primitive experimentation! To an extent, I discovered this for myself just a few days ago. I found myself having a deliciously light bow touch, with my pinky engaged only near the frog (and even then by feel rather than rule) and my index finger engaged only as needed e.g. to guide the bow on the up stroke . I suspect I might well have been lifting it before the frog as you describe. The result was rather special, for want of another way of putting it, like the notes came into existence by themselves rather than being forced into existence. I started to wonder whether it was the way forward. But was it? Or was it a trap - something that seemed good but isn't? This video and your analysis have given me the guidance I needed! Thanks again.

[@maxbernuzzi7390]

@@Samlaren in reality there is no single way of approaching the topic of bow conduction. some say that you shouldn't change the grip or move your fingers. others maintain that the only fingers that should not move are the thumb and middle finger. for those who have a short little finger, it is almost impossible to keep it on the stick when the bow is at the tip. then there is the so-called Stolyarsky technique where the fingers continuously adapt. It then depends on what type of grip you use, Russian or French-Belgian. In short, the only way to understand which is the best way, is to pay attention to the result. if the sound is beautiful, if everything works without tension, without stiffening, that is the right way. in practice, as Galamian said, practice.... practice....... practice.....

[@fedegroxo]

My experience is that you don't actively throw the index out, but if you apply a slight amount of pressure with both the pinky and the index finger at the frog, this motion of the index finger becomes automatic rather than voluntary